Just got off the phone today with a recruiter, and she stated schneider has a strict phone policy while driving the truck, and its no talking or texting, even if its handsfree or bluetooth. So schneider drivers is this the truth or is this just during training. Because i know it gets lonley out there on those highways, and not being able to talk to anyone for hours on in, will wear u down, heck you are already isolated. So please tell me this isnt the whole truth so help me God. Oh and do schneider trucks come with compay cb radios or do you have to purchase your own.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

Don't know if it's the truth or not, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were. A lot of companies cracking down on mobile devices. I've heard of companies who, while they don't prohibit them, discourage the use of bluetooth headsets.

My company has that policy also. Its pretty much a dont ask dont tell type of scenario. I do have a very nice headset that i rarely use. Have i, yes because sometimes its easier than finding a place to stop to call or message but not since ive been teaming. We simply have whoever isnt driving make the call if requested to call in.. Otherwise ill wait until ihave a safe place to park and let them know why i didnt respond right away.

i wonder do that have driver cams to enforce this policy, if so thats some real micro managing.

Unfortunately micromanaging is necessary for a lot of people. It would be great if we could just trust the judgment and common sense of the average person but I think it's abundantly clear that ends badly much of the time. And with the consequences being what they are in trucking you really can't just go on the honor system or say we won't monitor you closely unless you make a mistake. By then it's too late.

With the technology available today the scrutiny is only going to increase for drivers I'm afraid. I expect cameras are going to be everywhere, pointing both inside and outside of the cab. In fact I expect in coming years for the insurance industry to tap into the potential for dash cams to catch and report aggressive driving more often. It might not be you that's getting reported but something your camera catches other people doing.

I started in trucking in '93 before electronic logs , Internet, cell phones, in-cab cameras, hair follicle drug tests, advanced surveillance equipment at the weigh stations, or even Qualcomm in the trucks. You basically had an atlas, a pen, and a notepad to take down directions and navigate the country. The scrutiny that drivers face today is far beyond what we ever had to face back then but it's made today's drivers and the industry as a whole far more safe and professional than ever in the past. But as we all see everyday out there on the highways there is still plenty of room for improvement. At some point it's going to become nearly impossible to get away with poor driving habits or aggressive driving. It's not fun feeling like you're working in a fishbowl being monitored every second of your life but that's the responsibility that comes with driving an 80,000 pound rig on public highways.

Electronic Logs:

Electronic Onboard Recorder

Electronic Logbook

A device which records the amount of time a vehicle has been driven. If the vehicle is not being driven, the operator will manually input whether or not he/she is on duty or not.

Qualcomm:

Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.

Communicating with customers, having a fun conversation going down the road, alerting someone to a problem with their truck, alerting someone to a police officer or car on the shoulder, weather updates, road conditions, asking if anyone sees any open parking spots, getting directions to customers.

I could do this all day.......

.....and I thought we had some real truckers in this forum. What a bunch of newbies. Don't know what a CB is for. Geesh.

Communicating with customers, having a fun conversation going down the road, alerting someone to a problem with their truck, alerting someone to a police officer or car on the shoulder, weather updates, road conditions, asking if anyone sees any open parking spots, getting directions to customers.

I could do this all day.......

.....and I thought we had some real truckers in this forum. What a bunch of newbies. Don't know what a CB is for. Geesh.

I'm old enough to know what a CB is for and NOT for. I do use it to help other drivers as well as get help myself.

I wish I could say I get to have intelligent conversations with others driving down the road.

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